My name is Andy Grayland. I live in Fife, Scotland, and I am raising money, in conjunction with the Forth Bridges Rotary Club, for the Trussell Trust to help end food-poverty in the UK. I will be walking 1.9 million steps (about 1000 miles) in the hopes of raising £19,000.

In 2018 I left the Royal Navy. Although I didn't know it at the time, I was suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. One of the symptoms of this illness was binge-eating which caused me to gain a lot of weight. I undertook therapy 2020 which helped me a great deal and made me realise that life was worth living. I began to walk every day which helped both my physical and mental health.

During this period I began to consider that there is a dark irony living in a country where someone like me has so much food that they can over-eat and become overweight when many people live in food poverty and rely on food-banks to survive.

Millions of families in the UK today are unable to afford enough food to feed themselves for each day of the year.

1 in 4 parents have skipped a meal due to being unable to afford it

1 in 4 parents worry about not having enough food to eat

1 in 8 parents have gone without eating for an entire day in the last year 

In FY 2019/20, 1.9 million 3-day emergency food parcels were handed out by the Trussell Trust, the UKs largest food bank organiser, in comparison to just 26,000 in 2008/09.

What am I doing to help?

Over 16 weeks, I will take 1 step for every food parcel handed out in the last year. 1.9 million steps, or approximately 1000 miles of walking. I am seeking to raise 1 penny per food parcel, meaning my fundraising target is £19,000. I start this challenge on 1st March 2021.

What can you do to help?

Please donate using the donation button. All money goes directly to the Trussell Trust from JustGiving. Where you are eligible, please also use the gift aid option to allow the taxman to top up your donation for free.

The Trussell Trust's vision is for a UK without the need for food banks. They say this because it’s not right that anyone cannot afford their own food. That’s why they are working towards a just, compassionate future, where no one should have to use a food bank to get by. Their vision is ambitious, but they know that if we work together it is possible. We can create a future where nobody goes hungry, because nobody will allow it – when we work Together for Change.#TogetherForChange